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A review by ellenevich
Яма by Aleksandr Kuprin
4.0
Welcome to the Pit (Yama)!
Kuprin opens a door to the brothel, leads reader by the hand, offers to take a seat right in the hall center and tells with his simple fluent prose about the side of humanity, which always remains in shadows.
Many sidestep this pit and pretend with their eyes closed that this world does not exist at all. Some descend there for few hours to feed the beast, indifferently forget about it by dawn and return to their righteous days until the next hunger seizure. There are also those who make money by actively digging the pit wider and deeper.
This is the world where everything is permitted, where woman’s body can be bought for less money than a bottle of alcohol. All heroines are gears in the enormous machine of desire and few take them for a Person. Once you get to know each girl closer, you obviously see this is not so. Liubka, Jennka, Tamara are bright and lively, their characters have different, clear outlines, each literally breathes on the pages. There is a feeling at the end of the book that these women seem to unite into one substantial female image. You see yourself in each reflection, which means you easily can understand, empathize and know that you were simply born and lived all this time under some lucky star. The will of chance can befall anyone.
Story itself is simple, unembellished. Denouement is predictable, but is the only true possible way. Little things make their way under the skin and give a special tone to this work. Descriptions, situations and dialogs, which may seem secondary at first glance, are similar in their emotional strength to tragic ending.
The Pit is a conversation about important issue. This is a look into the keyhole of society’s secret room. It exists in interior plans, but in reality is shielded with chameleon veil, since it is more comfortable to be silent and easier to not think. Century has passed, the conversation is somewhat liberated and may be heard by many, which is crucial as to really hear with mind and heart means urge to action.
Meanwhile, I, like Kuprin, sincerely devote all my words to youths and mothers!
Kuprin opens a door to the brothel, leads reader by the hand, offers to take a seat right in the hall center and tells with his simple fluent prose about the side of humanity, which always remains in shadows.
Many sidestep this pit and pretend with their eyes closed that this world does not exist at all. Some descend there for few hours to feed the beast, indifferently forget about it by dawn and return to their righteous days until the next hunger seizure. There are also those who make money by actively digging the pit wider and deeper.
This is the world where everything is permitted, where woman’s body can be bought for less money than a bottle of alcohol. All heroines are gears in the enormous machine of desire and few take them for a Person. Once you get to know each girl closer, you obviously see this is not so. Liubka, Jennka, Tamara are bright and lively, their characters have different, clear outlines, each literally breathes on the pages. There is a feeling at the end of the book that these women seem to unite into one substantial female image. You see yourself in each reflection, which means you easily can understand, empathize and know that you were simply born and lived all this time under some lucky star. The will of chance can befall anyone.
Story itself is simple, unembellished. Denouement is predictable, but is the only true possible way. Little things make their way under the skin and give a special tone to this work. Descriptions, situations and dialogs, which may seem secondary at first glance, are similar in their emotional strength to tragic ending.
The Pit is a conversation about important issue. This is a look into the keyhole of society’s secret room. It exists in interior plans, but in reality is shielded with chameleon veil, since it is more comfortable to be silent and easier to not think. Century has passed, the conversation is somewhat liberated and may be heard by many, which is crucial as to really hear with mind and heart means urge to action.
Meanwhile, I, like Kuprin, sincerely devote all my words to youths and mothers!